Modi thanks US vice-prez for sending India vaccines as Kamala Harris calls him

PM thanks leader for help, solidarity extended in Covid fight

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke to US vice-president Kamala Harris who told him about the “US plans to make vaccines against Covid available to other countries, including India, under its ‘Strategy for Global Vaccine Sharing’.”

PM Modi thanked Ms. Harris for the help and solidarity extended by the US to India in battling the second wave of Covid that has battered the country. PM Modi also invited Ms Harris, who is partly of Indian origin, to India once the situation normalises after the pandemic.

In a statement, New Delhi said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on phone today with US vice-president Kamala Harris. Ms Harris informed Mr Modi about US plans to make vaccines against Covid available to other countries, including India, under its ‘Strategy for Global Vaccine Sharing’. The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation to Vice President Harris for the US decision, as well as for all other forms of support and solidarity that India has received in recent days from the US Government, businesses and the Indian expatriate community in the US.”

India added, “The leaders discussed ongoing efforts to strengthen the health supply chain between the US and India, including in the area of vaccine manufacturing.

They highlighted the potential of the India-US partnership as well as the Quad vaccine initiative in addressing the long-term health impact of the pandemic. The Prime Minister expressed the hope to welcome Ms Harris in India soon after the normalisation of the global health situation.”

Besides Mr Modi, Ms Harris spoke to President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico, President Alejandro Giammattei of Guatemala and PM Keith Rowley, chairman of the Caribbean community.